Brown Is the New Blondie

Browning butter can be a strange experience. It’s like whipping egg whites into meringue, or melting sugar for caramel. You wait and wait and wait, until you’re almost convinced nothing’s going to happen. Then, suddenly, everything changes. Your butter darkens to an unforgettable golden brown, and a nutty aroma fills the air.

What do you do next? Take that brown butter and spice up a classic brown-sugar blondie base. Toss in whole handfuls of chopped pears and some cinnamon. Finish it off with a to-die-for oat streusel topping, and you’ve got yourself the beginnings of a beautiful relationship. –Marilyn He